​Have you had your Homocysteine levels checked recently? As we age the amino acid Homocysteine increases in the blood, and scientists tell us that elevated levels of Homocysteine (blood level >10) is associated with increasing risk of  atherosclerosis, heart arrhythmia, heart attack and stroke, as well as dementia. This is because high Homocysteine triggers increased inflammation, oxidative damage to blood vessel walls, and increased risk of clotting. Studies have shown the benefit of taking a combination of 4 key
B Vitamins: activated B2, B6, B12, and Folate, for reducing Homocysteine
to healthy levels. If you are keen to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist Karen Emans on 0408748532 to see how research done by modern science can benefit you.
 

​We all love that feeling of robust energy and vitality, & it’s a hallmark of good health. As we age however, or when we are unwell or inflamed, we can feel tired, lethargic & foggy in the brain. Scientists are looking at ways to improve energy availability by regenerating the Mitochondria – the energy factories in our cells. Biochemist Bruce Ames PhD, is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been researching ways to reverse the mitochondrial deterioration that results in damaging free radical production, like an old car engine producing smoke. Damaged mitochondria, with inefficient machinery, and damaged DNA or membranes, can’t produce energy efficiently, leading to fatigue, brain fog and moodiness.
 
He found that Acetyl-L-carnitine which transports fatty acids into the mitochondria to use for fuel, & lipoic acid a mitochondrial coenzyme & antioxidant, rejuvenated older lab rats that couldn’t run fast on a treadmill or find their way around a water pool. Their running, swimming & memory improved. CoQ10 has been found to increase the rate of energy production and protect the mitochondria from damage, and B vitamins, particularly vitamin B3 are essential for the energy production process. If any of these are deficient the mitochondria can’t do their job & we feel tired & foggy as a result. If you want more energy and greater clarity call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist & Kinesiologist Karen Emans 0408748532 

​Each cell requires energy to function. This energy is manufactured by tiny energy factories within the cell called mitochondria. The more energy a cell needs the more mitochondria it will have, and the more you demand of your muscles through exercise the more mitochondria they will build to supply that need. This process is called mitochondrial bio-genesis. If you are feeling tired, or exhausted after exercise you may have a degree of mitochondrial dysfunction.
 


Mitochondrial Function is typically impaired in 3 ways:
1.         Deficiency of Nutritional Substrate ie vitamins & specific antioxidants
2.         Disruption by - Chemicals & Heavy Metals which deposit in fatty membranes
                                  - Infection - Epstein Barr / Ross River / Barmah Forrest / Borrelia (Lyme’s)
3.         Oxidative damage to mitochondrial membranes or mitochondrial DNA
 
Mitochondrial Repair Program
1.       Optimize energy production in Mitochondria with essential nutritional substrates
2.       Restore mitochondrial membrane fluidity with high quality fatty acids
3.       Reduce free radical damage to mitochondrial DNA with antioxidants
4.       Induce Mitochondrial bio-genesis  

Find out how much you can improve your cells capacity to produce life giving energy, by using our Mitochondrial Repair Program. Call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist Karen Emans on 0408748532

A study published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience in January 2018 showed that migraine sufferers who received 400mg of Coenzyme Q10 daily for 3 months had a reduction in the frequency, severity and duration of their migraines, as well as a reduction in the inflammation marker TNF-alpha in their blood. Migraines may be triggered by many factors including inflammatory reactions to certain foods, high stress, hormonal changes, and toxicity. In our clinic we investigate these to determine what factors are relevant to each person, & then create an individual treatment protocol to address them. If you have headaches or migraines and are looking for a way to help yourself give Sunshine Coast Nutritionist and Kinesiologist
​Karen Emans a call on 0408 748 532.
​

​Coenzyme Q10 is used by heart muscle cells in manufacture of energy, for the hearts work of pumping blood around the body. Co Q10 is naturally produced by our own cells, and is present in the meat we consume, but tissue levels fall as we age. Statin drugs taken for lowering cholesterol may also deplete it. A recent 2 year study examined weather long term supplementation with Co Q10 could improve the symptoms of heart failure - reduced ability of the heart to pump blood around the body. (Mortensen SA, Rosenfeldt F, Kumar A, et al. “The effect of coenzyme Q10 on morbidity and mortality in chronic heart failure: results from Q-SYMBIO: a randomized double-blind trial” JACC Heart Fail.2014;2(6):641-9)
 
The scientists enrolled 420 people in the study and gave them 100mg of CoQ10, or placebo three times daily for 2 years, in addition to their normal drug therapy. After 2 years those taking supplemental CoQ10 experienced a 50% reduction in incidence of heart attack stroke or death. Co Q10 must be used with your doctors supervision for those taking blood thinners because it has a mild blood thinning effect.
 
Symptoms of heart Failure include:

• Difficulty breathing when lying down
• Breathlessness when doing normal daily activities
• Swelling of ankles, feet & abdomen
• Feeling very tired & weak

 
Factors that increase Heart Failure Risk

• High Blood Pressure can result in heart wall thickening and eventual inefficiency
• Narrowing of arteries resulting from plaque build-up
• Diabetes can damage the heart muscle
• Smoking
• Obesity & sedentary lifestyle

If you wish to discuss the possible benefits of Co Q10 call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist Karen Emans on 0408748532

​A recent study investigated the role of chemical exposure & low folate during pregnancy, on the incidence of autism in children. It was found that women with regular exposure to household chemicals like flea or tick products for pets, and ant, fly or cockroach extermination products in the house, or agricultural sprays, and taking less than 800mcg folate in the 3 months before conception and during pregnancy, had 2 ½ times greater risk of having a child on the autism spectrum. Professor Rebecca Schmidt from the study, is assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California. She says "Folate plays a critical role in DNA methylation (a process by which genes are turned on & off), as well as in DNA synthesis. These are really important during periods of rapid growth when there are lots of cells dividing, as in a developing foetus.” The study was called “Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment”(CHARGE) study, and shows us how important adequate folate and avoidance of chemical exposure is in pregnancy. If you are contemplating pregnancy speak with Sunshine Coast Nutritionist Karen Emans on 0408 748 532. 

Your Microbiome is the community of living organisms that flourish in your gut. It is initially established in the first 5 years of life but is constantly changing depending on what you eat, your stress levels, how much exercise you do, and drugs you take. Foods that can produce an unhealthy microbiome include sugar, refined low fiber carbs like white bread, white rice, white pasta, & fried food, as well as preservatives and chemical sprays on our food. An unhealthy microbiome, including SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) is known to be associated with many chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, autoimmune conditions, obesity, and autism spectrum disorders.
 
Australians are among the world’s highest users of antibiotics with 46% of us using one or more courses of antibiotics every year according to a report published in 2016 by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
A single 5 day course of antibiotics can wipe out 40% of one's gut flora, and this can take years to recover.
 
A well designed diet accompanied by carefully selected probiotics can quickly make a big positive difference in the makeup of your microbiome. For example the probiotic Saccharomyces Boulardii has been shown to reduce loss of good flora while taking antibiotics & recovery after, while LGG administration promotes the growth of 5 out of the 6 core genera inhabiting a healthy gut.  
 
If you are keen to improve your microbiome, or suspect you may have Candida or SIBO underlying your chronic health condition call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist and Kinesiologist Karen Emans on 0408 748 532 for an appointment today.

​ A new study with animals has found that an inflammatory chemical in the bloodstream called TNF-alpha can cross the blood brain barrier, activating glial cells in the brain which attract damaging immune cells. This active immune response in the brain, results in us feeling foggy & fatigued.

One of the things that massively increases circulating levels of TNF-alpha is a component of the cell walls in pathogenic bacteria from our gut, called Lipopolysaccharide. LPS was found to increase TNF- alpha from 3ng/m to 97ng/m in a cell culture. This is why it’s so important to clean up our gut, especially if SIBO or Candida overgrowth are present.

Several natural substances have been found in studies to inhibit TNF-alpha, including the herb Cats Claw which reduced it by 65 – 85% as reported in the year 2000, in the journal ‘Free Radic Biol Med’ 29(1):71-8 (2000). Also useful are the powerful antioxidants Resveratrol and Quercetin, as reported in 2010, in the ‘Am J Clin Nutr’ 92:1511-21 (2010). These gifts from nature are a valuable part of our natural medicine tool kit. If you are tired and foggy, or your gut is not functioning as well as you'd like, call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist Karen Emans on 0408 748 532 for an appointment & start on the road to better health today.  

​Could you have SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)? Symptoms to look for

• Wind & Bloating
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Craving sweet foods, or bread
• Fatigue
• Mood swings, anxiety & irritability
• Brain fog
• Poor sleep, or restless legs
• Multiple food sensitivities

 
The food we eat, especially the type of carbohydrates, determines the populations of intestinal flora (bacteria) that can live in our gut. Gut bacteria ferment whatever we can’t digest & absorb, producing gases like hydrogen and methane which give us wind, and lactic acid which affects our brain, mood & sleep. Both inflame & damage the cells lining the small intestine, where enzymes complete digestion & absorption occurs. Damaged intestinal cells can no longer produce their digestive enzymes, and excess mucus is produced in an attempt to shield the gut wall, further inhibiting carbohydrates from getting to the enzymes still available. Leaky gut, systemic inflammation, pain, and multiple food sensitivities result.
 
Is there a test for this?
‘The Hydrogen & Methane Breath Test’ requested by your doctor tells you if you have excessive fermentation, but you probably know this already by the amount of wind & bloating you have.
 
How can we correct it?
When we give the body a healthy balance of protein, good fats, and certain carbohydrates that are easily digested & absorbed, leaving none to feed bacteria in the small intestine, harmful bacteria die off. Freed from the inflammatory effects of pathogenic bacteria, the small intestine cells can heal & start producing digestive enzymes again. Thus digestion and absorption improves and your symptoms disappear. Improvements appear quite quickly but long term healing requires adherence to the program for a year. If you need help with these symptoms call sunshine coast Nutritionist and Kinesiologist Karen Emans on 0408 748 532

​N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (NAG) is the precursor to skin plumping hyaluronic acid, & is also anti-inflammatory, making it a useful skin anti-aging nutrient. As a bonus it is used by the epithelial cells lining your digestive tract to make a protective mucus barrier that protects your gut from inflammation & reduces leaky gut. Fibroblasts are cells that use NAG to make collagen and connective tissue in your skin, gut and joints as part of an ongoing rejuvenation process which slows as you age. UV radiation damages fibroblasts in the skin & activates enzymes that break down collagen causing ageing and wrinkling of the skin.
 
A study done by Poznan University of Medical Sciences & published in the International Journal of Cosmetic  Science in May 2013, showed that fibroblasts cultured with NAG increased synthesis of collagen by 33% and reduced the manufacture of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 by 22%. Fibroblasts cultured with NAG also demonstrated improved ability to heal an injured layer of cells by 34%. These results are good news for those of us wanting to slow down ageing of our skin, and improve gut health. For help with anti-ageing strategies call Sunshine Coast Nutritionist and kinesiologist Karen Emans on 0408 748 532